Casinos in many states serve complimentary alcoholic drinks to players wagering a certain amount. It is a nice perk that anyone of legal age can get. In most cases, a players card is not even needed. However, there are times when players are better off paying cash for the drink as opposed to playing a bad game for free alcohol. Here are some times to play for drinks and when not to play and pay for it.
Casino drink prices can vary wildly. Many casinos have specials as low as $2, $3, or $5. Some of these deals are even on the Las Vegas Strip. On the other hand, luxury resorts want $10 for a domestic beer and $20 for call liquor.
Free Casino Drinks Are Not Free
Casinos give many forms of complimentary services and products to players. These are known as comps. The value is a percentage of the player’s expected loss. Drinks are often part of a casino’s comp strategy, assuming that offering them is legal in that jurisdiction. Some states ban free alcoholic beverages at casinos.
The casino expects a minimum amount of play for comps. Alcohol is no different. The rule is usually $0.25 or $1 bet per video poker hand or slot spin. More may be required on bartop machines.
Don’t Forget About Variance
Variance also plays a part. You may be playing a 99% payback video poker machine perfectly. Bad luck can cause that game to return 70% over a short sample size of a few hours. Players may also be tempted to insert more cash in a machine waiting on a drink to arrive if they go bust. That is unnecessary. You only need to be playing when the order is taken.
If you want to move machines, there is no reason to wait, as the waitress will find you if you do not wander too far from where you ordered.
Many Las Vegas Casinos Offer Drink Deals
Las Vegas visitors do not need to play at all to get good drink deals. As of August 2026, Casino Royale on the Las Vegas Strip has $3 beer bottles and $5 calls and drafts. Slots A Fun has $3 and $3 beer specials. Excalibur has $3 margaritas. The Strat has $3 beer and $5 shot specials. Some Caesars properties have $5 domestic beer specials.
Away from the Strip, Station Casinos offers many $3 drink specials. Rio is another casino away from the Strip that advertises alcohol deals. Casinos deep in the locals market have the same prices as local bars for everything. PT’s Taverns has 50% off happy hours twice a day. Consider visiting these casinos if you would like cheap drinks without playing.
Math Behind When to Play or Pay for Drinks
The best way to determine the true cost of a drink is through the expected hourly loss. That is the average the player can expect to lose over a period of time on a specific game.
Many casino bars rate players for free drinks. It takes at least a pace of around 500 hands per hour to satisfy the light system that alerts bartenders that a free drink is permitted. That is one hand every seven seconds. Expert video poker players churn 700-1000 hands per hour.
Players are not given unlimited drinks, even when in action. Bartenders typically limit it to no more than three per hour. Casino floor drink service is usually around once every 30 minutes.
Slot Points and Other Offers Not Included
The numbers above do not include slot points and mailers with special offers like free play, hotel, and food. These will often be around 20% of the expected loss. This varies by casino. Once the exact amount is known, it should be included in your formula.
Expected Loss Per Hour
The list below shows the expected loss per hour when playing specific games. The highest expected returns typically come from video poker, while the lowest are normally on slots. Video poker numbers assume perfect strategy is used.
9/6 Jacks or Better (Five Coins)
- $0.25: $2.88/hr
- $0.50: $5.75
- $1: $11.50
- $2: $23
- $5: $57.50
8/5 Bonus Poker (Five Coins)
- $0.25: $5.19/hr
- $0.50: $10.38
- $1: $20.75
- $2: $41.50
- $5: $103.75
98% Video Poker Games (Five coins, 7/5 Bonus Poker, 9/5 Double Double Bonus, 9/6/5 Double Bonus)
- $0.25: $12.50/hr
- $0.50: $25
- $1: $50
- $2: $100
- $5: $250
96.5% Video Poker Games (Five Coins, Most Las Vegas Strip Bartops)
- $0.25: $21.88/hr
- $0.50: $43.75
- $1: $87.50
- $2: $175
- $5: $350
92% (Four Coins, Many Keno Games and Some Slots)
- $0.25: $40/hr
- $0.50: $80
- $1: $160
- $2: $320
- $5: $640
90% Slots
- $1 bet: $50
- $2 bet: $100
- $3 bet: $150
- $4 bet: $200
- $5 bet: $250
These lists show that it is better to play quality video poker games for free drinks, as the expected loss is usually lower than the cost of buying alcohol from the bar. As the house advantage increases, it becomes better to pay cash for drinks if that is your goal. Playing slots, keno, and video poker with lower returns should be done for fun, as the expected losses are far higher than paying for drinks.
Also note that the high-limit players are losing substantially more for the same beer. Some casinos give these players a wider variety of top-shelf liquor. That may be a perk worth pursuing, depending on its value and the expected return.
Don’t Take Too Much Advantage of the Free Drinks
Casinos give players free alcohol because it loosens them up. Players may make bad decisions like playing too long or withdrawing more money from the ATM. Keep your drinking paced while playing to keep your bankroll plan intact.
Playing for Comps in General is a Poor Idea
Free hotel rooms and slot play are great comps players earn. However, these are usually a percentage of a player’s expected loss during a visit. While there are situations when advantage players figure out when casinos comp too much, that is an expert play. Giving action specifically to receive free perks from casinos is a poor decision that costs more money in the long run in most cases.
Hi ! Long time watcher here and love the newsletters, events and mostly the channel! I wanted to ask in the part you said here: You may be playing a 99% payback video poker machine perfectly. Bad luck can cause that game to return 70% over a short sample size of a few hours. Is the RTP on games kinda like an ebb and flow where sometimes in a random moment you get the highest paying of 99% and then it could go down to 70% for hours and hours ?
RTP in a small window can go way above 100% – think about if you’re the lucky individual who hits that royal flush – if you get it pretty quickly you’re a winner, and winning means over 100% RTP for your session. But mathematically there will be losing streaks as well, part of the randomness of how it all works based on the finite number of outcomes that are possible. The challenge is we won’t recognize that it’s had a bad streak until it’s happened, because the outcome isn’t certain until you place your wager. The game isn’t on any set journey so streaks are past information, not future information. We hope this helps!
I don’t drink. The free pop and coffee at the self serve, are great for me. If you ask for a drink you are also expected to leave a tip and that could be the cost of another drink.
It’s certainly helpful when your your casino has the self service machines – we’re overall surprised they’re not more widespread. Thanks for the comment Steve!